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JASPER, Tenn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is opening up Nickajack Lock to the public beginning Saturday, May 23. The lock will be accessible to visitors seven days a week from 9 a.m. to dusk.
The Corps restricted access to the lock following Sept. 11, 2001, as a security precaution, but district officials now support allowing the public into these areas to foster better community relations and to let people see how the lock facilitates movement of commerce within the U.S. Inland Waterway System.
“After more than a decade of significant restrictions, we are excited to be able to reopen Nickajack Lock to the public during daylight hours,” said Lt. Col. John L. Hudson, Nashville District commander. “We are committed to balancing the need for security with the interest people have in visiting the facilities and watching boats lock through the dam, as they move up and down the Tennessee River.”
Nickajack Lock is one of 10 locks (14 locks if including auxiliary locks) located on the 650-plus navigable miles in the Tennessee River Basin. The lock is 110-feet wide and 600-feet long. The project is owned by the Tennessee Valley Authority, but the Corps of Engineers maintains and operates the lock for navigation.
Nickajack Lock and Dam was initially appropriated by Congress on Dec. 31, 1963, and authorized by TVA Board of Directors on Jan. 9, 1964. Construction began April 1, 1964, and the lock opened to traffic Dec. 17, 1967. The dam was finalized April 30, 1968, at a total project cost of $82,380,365.
The lock is located at 3490 TVA Road in Jasper, Tennessee. The zip code is 37347. It is also located at mile 424.7 of the Tennessee River in Marion County. Public restrooms are currently not available at the lock. For more information, please contact the Nickajack lockmaster at 423-942-3985.
(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.)
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2015 11:35 |
| Story ID: | 164263 |
| Location: | JASPER, TN, US |
| Web Views: | 30 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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